Personally, Lilly did not feel that a man who used women for his own means was forward thinking, but rather was a reprobate.
“Ready to go upstairs?” Cade asked.
“By all means.”
He made a sweeping gesture toward the staircase, and he and Lilly followed Erin. As Lilly had noticed earlier, the narrower gallery at the front of the building led to an outdoor balcony, much like the ones they’d seen as they’d driven from the station. There were two closed doors on each of the three remaining sides.
“So, it looks as if there were six girls working here,” Lilly said, still trying to get her mind around the routines of this alien world.
Erin looked over her shoulder as she continued up the stairs. “Hm. Most places only have three or four girls. The other two rooms are probably for the madam—or Dusty, in this case—and the bouncer.”
Lilly sighed. The bouncer and his paramour. During the time they’d spent together in New Orleans, she had grown far too friendly with her partner. Learning that her “marriage” to Timothy had been a sham had brought her to her senses. She would never allow herself to be taken in again, not even by her handsome, bewildering, exasperating partner.
The next time she fell for a man, if she ever allowed that to happen, she would make certain it was someone far different from Cadence McShane. Someone malleable, who thought she was the most wonderful thing since Borden’s condensed milk. A good and uncomplicated man. Someone like Simon Linedecker, perhaps. Certainly not the likes of Cadence McShane.
They’d reached the first room, and Cade swung the door wide to reveal a small, but garishly appointed bedroom done all in scarlet and gold with lots of filigree, fringe, and tassels. The second was a replica of the first, but the décor was purple. The two remaining rooms were copies of the first two, decorated in royal blue and emerald green. Making a face, Erin stepped back out into the hall and started toward the last two rooms.
Cade stood in the doorway and gestured for Lilly to follow. As she passed him, her elbow brushed his arm.
“Which one do you want?” he asked, mischief dancing in his eyes.
“I thought I was supposed to share with you.”
“Missed me, have ya?” His face, still handsome despite the scar that ran through his eyebrow and down his cheek, wore his maddening boxer’s grin.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you are insufferable, McShane?”
“Once or twice,” he told her after pretending to think on it for a bit. “Rest your fears, Miss Long; we don’t have to share a room since there’s no one here but us.”
She felt her cheeks grow hot. How could she have forgotten that small detail? If not for that fact, she and Cade would be sharing a room.
Hoping to make the best of her blunder, she quipped, “I’m a novice, remember? How can I possibly think of everything? That’s why I’m paired with you.”
“All right.”
“And while we’re on the subject of our fictitious relationship, I would like to lay down some rules.”
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms across his chest. “You would, would ya?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin to look him directly in the eye. “I want to make it clear that there is to be no flirting, no pseudo seduction . . .”
His eyebrows rose in question. “Pseudo?”
“Yes. Pretend. We both know it’s only a childish game you and others like you enjoy playing with women whenever the mood hits.”
He regarded her soberly for a moment, then nodded. “So, you think I’m playing games. I see.”
“And do you understand?”
“Explicitly. Is there anything else?”
“Yes.” Heat flamed in her face once again. “No more kisses.”
A half smile curved his mouth. “You had no objections at the time.”
He had her there. “Well,” she blustered. “How could I? We were playing a married couple. But even so, we shared far too much . . . intimacy.”
Even as she spoke the words, she knew they were only somewhat true. She hadn’t objected, partly because he had taken her by surprise, but also because she’d enjoyed it, blast it all!
“Children!” Erin chided, poking her head out the doorway of a room down the way. “Stop quarreling! Cade, come and see if this room is acceptable.”
He pushed away from the doorframe and went to join his sister. The room had a definite masculine feel with a simple oak bed, dresser, and small wardrobe. There were no frills, no gold or filigree. The curtains were simple white panels, and no knickknacks adorned any surface. A shaving stand with a plain white bowl and pitcher sat near the window, taking advantage of the light.
“It’s perfect,” Cade said. “Have you seen your room?”
“Oh, yes,” Erin said. “It’s a cross between those of the girls and this one. I’m not certain if Dusty liked things a little fancier than his bouncer, or if he added the gewgaws and pretties to try to please some woman or other.”
To Lilly’s surprise, Cade smiled at his sister. “That’s something that’s hard to do.”
Erin gave a matter-of-fact lift of one shoulder. “It depends on the woman, daor deartháir.”
“What about you, Erin?” he asked. “What would it take to make you happy? A millionaire? A big house? A place like the Crystal Palace?” Though the moment was light, Lilly sensed the question was serious, that he really wanted to know.
Her smile was sweet, even whimsical, tinged with the slightest hint of mystery. “None of those things.”
“No?” He regarded Erin with a quizzical expression.
“The answer would surprise you, Cadence. It really would.” Without waiting for him to comment, she whirled and left the room, heading down the stairs. “You bring the bags up. Lilly and I will check the armoires and see if there are some clean linens so we can all have some fresh bedding. Then, perhaps we can find a place to get a bite of supper.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan,” Cade said, already clomping down the stairs. “I’m starving.”
Because they were doing the case on so little money, it was necessary to spend it frugally. They planned to eat a proper supper and eat simply for breakfast and dinner. The small snack they’d bought from the news butch on the train was long gone. Like Cade, Lilly was ready for something hot and filling.
“Which room, Lilly?” he called from the bottom of the stairs.
“The green one,” she said, for no other reason than that green was her favorite color. It certainly had nothing else to recommend it. As garish and tasteless as it might be, she would only be sleeping there, so what did it matter?
CHAPTER 7
They walked down the street and around a corner, settling on a small restaurant that was situated in a narrow building squeezed between two larger ones. It wasn’t fancy, but was reasonably clean, and the coffee smelled good enough to kill for. No one expected the food to be the best, and they all agreed that it ranked one notch above filling, but it gave them an opportunity to be seen by the locals.
Newcomers, whether they were cowboys looking for one final fling before heading out on a long trail drive, or just strangers coming to town to sample the pleasures, were bound to stir up a lot of curiosity, and curiosity led to questions. Which worked to the trio’s advantage. They needed everyone talking about them so that they could strike up some conversations and spread the word about why they were here. The hope was that if Nora heard about new people arriving, she would brave exposure to check them out and realize that her plea for help had been answered.
The establishment was busy, and diners came and went at a rapid pace, though Lilly and her companions took their time, eating their stringy beef slowly, and watching and commenting on those who came and went. They were halfway through a half-decent brown sugar bread pudding when a tall, rangy fellow in denim jeans, a chambray shirt, and a leather vest with a badge pinned to the front stepped through the doorway. He stood there for a moment, surveying the occup
ants. Looking for someone.
“I think we’ve attracted the attention of the law,” Cade said, spooning up another bite of the sugary dessert.
It was all Lilly could do to keep from turning around to see, but instead, she kept her eyes dutifully on her bowl. Erin, though, deliberately lifted her head and stared across the crowded room at the newcomer. There was a challenge and a dare in her amethyst eyes. And just maybe a hint of interest.
Without a word, the stranger started toward them. Either they were who he was looking for, or he was accepting Erin’s challenge. Hooking his thumbs in his pockets, he stopped at their table. “Someone told me one of the drivers dropped off two women and a man at Dusty’s old place. That wouldn’t happen to be you all, would it?”
“As a matter of fact, it would,” Cade told him, standing and extending his hand. “Cadence McShane.”
The lawman took his hand. “Sam Davies. I’ve been the marshal since I beat out Jim Courtright a couple of years ago.”
Before he could say anything else, Erin held out her hand. “Erin O’Toole.”
Looking directly into her smiling gaze, Davies took her hand. She gestured toward Lilly. “This is my friend Lilly. Mr. McShane is here to”—she smiled—“make certain that Lilly and I come to no harm. We hear the Acre can be very unhealthy for some ladies.”
At first Lilly was shocked at Erin’s high-handedness, but, just as quickly, she realized that Cade’s sister had deftly taken the lead in the conversation, establishing that she was the one in charge. Just as they’d planned.
“Would you care to join us?” she asked, indicating the fourth seat at the table.
“I’d be pleased,” he said, pulling out the chair and settling into it.
“Would you like some dessert? Coffee?”
“No, thank you, Miss O’Toole. This time of day my taste starts turning to something a bit stronger, and they don’t serve liquor here.”
“Then please excuse us while we finish.”
“Certainly.”
While he watched Erin, both Lilly and Cade watched him.
“What brings you to our little Paris of the Plains?” he asked at last. “And more specifically, to Dusty’s? I’m assuming you’re a friend of his.”
“Alas, no,” she said with a melodramatic sigh. “I’m afraid I don’t know Mr. Knowles. It’s my understanding that when he left, he defaulted on the loan on his property, which then passed from one banker to another until one of my longtime friends”—she gave the slightest weight to the word—“wound up with it and made it a gift to thank me for all the wonderful times we’d had together.”
Davies had no problem getting the drift of her meaning.
“Mighty generous of him,” he said.
“We’ve had some very good times,” Erin confided with an artful smile and an audacious wink.
“So, do you plan on opening up the place?”
“That remains to be seen, Marshal. That’s why we’ve come. To check out things, see if there’s room for one more . . . boardinghouse.”
“There’s always room for another first-rate place,” he said.
“Why, Marshal, I thought sporting houses were against the law.”
“They are.” For the first time, he looked a little uncomfortable.
Erin laughed. “Well, there seems to be a lot of law breakers here.” She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him with mischief in her eyes. “I thought it was your job to shut them down.”
Lilly had to press her lips together to keep from smiling. Erin was certainly good at confrontation. The words were damning, but her flirtatious manner made it hard for the marshal to take offense.
For just a moment, he looked taken aback by her bluntness, but then he seemed to gather his thoughts and his composure. When he replied, he seemed a trifle wary, as if he was wondering just what Erin O’Toole was up to.
“Oh, I make arrests, Miss O’Toole, and I’ve shut down several places, but most everyone in town, including a good number of the bigwigs, agrees that the girls not only provide a valuable service, but they bring a lot of revenue to the legitimate businesses. I try to be fair-handed with the arrests.”
“How’s that?” Cade asked.
“When the men come in off the trail, they’re dead-dog tired and have a lot of dust to wash down. They spend their pay at the bathhouses, get a shave and a haircut, buy new duds at the mercantile, drink a little, play some cards.”
“That makes sense,” Cade said.
“Sure it does. And as a man, I’m sure you understand that they crave the pleasure of some feminine companionship before they start out on that long, gritty trek from here to Kansas City or Dodge.”
Davies gave a slight shrug and turned his attention back to Erin. “As long as things don’t get too out of hand, we just look the other way. I’m sure you understand, since you’re in the same line of work.”
Hm. He could give as good as Erin, it seemed.
“Indeed, I do, and you’ve helped me with my decision.”
“I have?”
“Yes.” She offered him a sultry smile. “I’m sure you understand that I need to have a handle on how things work here and see if there would be any opposition to my opening up another place.”
Davies laughed. “Oh, there’ll be opposition, all right, but not from me. Believe me, some of the madams will be spoiling for a fight.”
Erin smiled a knowing smile. “They’re afraid I might upset the pecking order?”
“Some of them will be concerned.”
“Who’s at the top of the ladder?”
“That would be Velvet Hook and Rosalie Padgett.”
“Velvet Hook?” Lilly repeated, forgetting for a moment that this was Erin’s show. “That can’t be her real name.”
“Naw. Everyone says that, once she gets her hooks into a fella, he ain’t got a chance. Others say it’s ’cause she was a hooker durin’ the war.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Erin said. Lilly thought it sounded perfectly horrible.
“I’m sure you’ll have the opportunity.” Davies stood and plopped his hat back on his head. “How long do you expect to be here?”
“It’s hard to say, Marshal. We want to check out the situation thoroughly and then, if it seems feasible, come up with a plan to renovate the place. Then I’ll get some cost figures together and see if my lawyer thinks it’s a viable undertaking.”
“Lawyer?”
From the expression on Davies’s face, he was astonished by the notion that a woman who made her living selling her body would have enough business sense to have an attorney help her with a potential new venture. Lilly saw his wariness turn to respect.
“Yes.” Erin didn’t elaborate. “I seldom make any decisions these days without consulting him.” Her smile was derisive. “I’m not getting any younger, Marshal Davies, and I need to make the best use of my . . . assets as possible. All my assets.”
Lilly realized that Erin had chosen the word on purpose. It was an impressive play on words that was titillating and showcased her intelligence. She was as good an actor as her brother. But then, perhaps it wasn’t an act. Cade was intelligent. Why should Erin be less clever? To think such a thing was the height of condescension, especially from another female.
Davies’s smile could only be described as slimy. Lilly imagined that he was envisioning disrobing Erin to better appreciate those “assets.”
“You’re a very interesting woman, Miss O’Toole. I look forward to hearing what you decide. And perhaps being one of your first clients.” His gaze traveled around the group. “I’m sure I’ll see you here and there, since you plan to stay a few days. Have a good night, now, ya hear?”
“You too.” Lilly and Erin watched as he turned and left the room.
Cade was looking at his sister as if he’d never seen her before. Lilly suspected that he’d never before seen this side of her.
Erin leaned against the back of her chair and blotted her lips dain
tily with the napkin. “Well, how did I do?”
“As well as I expected,” Cade told her. “Better. Lilly? What was your impression?”
“I think Erin handled herself very well. It’s obvious she knows her business and that she can hold her own with the likes of Sam Davies.”
“Do you think he bought our story?” Lilly asked.
“Yes.” Cade took a sip of his coffee, even though it had to be stone-cold by now. Lilly knew he liked to drink something to kill any lingering flavor of the sweet dessert, a little quirk of his that she’d noticed from the weeks they spent together. Something they had in common.
“He was feeling us out, trying to see what we’re up to and if we’ll be any problem. I think he was impressed with Erin. He has to know she’s no fool.” Cade smiled. “The part about consulting your lawyer was genius.”
“Would it surprise you to learn I do have a lawyer?” Erin asked with a lift of her dark eyebrows.
“Not really. You’ve always managed to surprise us in one way or another.”
That seemed to give her pause. “Well, for your information, I do.” She reached into her reticule and handed Cade some money. “Go pay the bill, brother, and let’s go back to our little home away from home. I’m exhausted.”
CHAPTER 8
Lilly’s sleep was light, restless, interrupted by the sounds of cursing, yelling, and the pounding of horse hooves. Once a single gunshot piercing the night sent her bolt upright in a second of pure terror. The darkness of the unfamiliar room did little to comfort her; the thought of Cade sleeping just down the hallway did. Whatever else she thought of the man, she trusted him to take care of her and his sister....
* * *
The scent of something cooking wafted up from downstairs and woke Lilly. Not bothering to hide a yawn, she raised onto her elbows and glanced out the lacy curtain that hung between the fringed edges of the green velvet draperies. Morning. Finally. What time was anyone’s guess.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she scurried behind the dressing screen to make use of the chamber pot, then poured some tepid water into the china washbowl and washed up. Without bothering to dress, she grabbed the robe draped over the walnut footboard of the bed and shrugged into it on her way down the stairs.
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